Investigating the Effects of Pre‐school Provision: Using Mixed Methods in the EPPE Research

Abstract

The Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) project is a longitudinal study of young children between the ages of 3 and 7 years. Research began in 1997 and both quan-titative and qualitative methods were used to explore the effects of pre-school education on children's attainment and social/behavioural development at entry to school, and of any continuing effects on such outcomes at the end of Key Stage 1 (age 7). The sample included over 3,000 children and 141 pre-school centres drawn from six different types of providers. In addition, a home sample of children who had not attended a pre-school centre was included. In order to identify the processes that might influence centre effectiveness, observational data were collected and centre managers interviewed. In-depth case studies of 12 more effective centres were used to explore and illuminate the processes, particularly in relation to pedagogy, associated with better child outcomes. A mixed method approach was adopted to simultaneously answer both confirmatory and exploratory questions, to support user engagement and provide triangulation. The paper argues that the mixed method approach supported the development of stronger research inferences. Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 21:01 19 June 2015 208 P. Sammons et al.the first research into the effects of early years education and care to apply an educational effectiveness design to investigate the impact of pre-school on child outcomes (both cognitive and social behavioural) over time. Although EPPE's research methods draw upon several well-known traditions of investigation, the questions it seeks to answer about 'effective' ways to educate and care for young children are both contemporary and practical. The research team brought together researchers and approaches used in different and previously separate research traditions to provide a rigorous analysis that could be presented with quantitative breadth and sufficient qualitative depth to achieve impact upon policy and practice and contribute to the further development of academic understanding of the influence of pre-school on young children.

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